Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 33

H37D uuouons Huskers were eve rywhe re in victory over Wildcats i-; 5 -7, X- iy 4 a OCTOBER gS, 1fl87 St )MnV IQURNAL-STAR ri v. .4... Ti f- Vv I J4, 1 1 4 -V I nj 1 4 'i By Ken Hambleton To refer to the Nebraska-Kansas State football game as a chess match might be stretching the metaphor a bit Especially when it looked like Nebraska had extra pieces while Kansas State was missing a bishop, a queen and a rook or two. The Comhuskers controlled every space on the board er, field Saturday in a 56-3 victory. Even when the winless Wildcats appeared to have a chance at stopping Nebraska, the Comhuskers offered a winning gam- -bit "Things got to be like a stalemate," split end Hendley Hawkins said.

"Then, boom. Checkmate. "An of a sudden we got 7 (points), then 14, then 21, then 42, then 567 he said. Over-board Nebraska picked up all the pieces and tipped over the board when backup quarterback Clete Blakeman hit Hawkins on a 40-yard touchdown pass as time ran out in the first half. "That touchdown had a lot of us floating into the locker room at halftime," said Hawkins, who scored his first touchdown of the season on the play.

"It kind of broke their back. I mean, we had four seconds on the clock, and we always try to put one in at halftime if we can. "I was surprised it worked. But the guy covering me (Em-mett Bradford) was playing me like it was first-and-10 on our 30, and I just got behind him in the end zone." The touchdown play, a "53-1-hook and go," Is designed to work if the cornerback plays too close on the first 12-to-14 yards the receiver runs, Hawkins said. "We laid the bait out there, and he bit We may have had some contact, but it was incidental and he never said anything to me about a push or anything," Hawkins said.

Because Nebraska pulled away so easily, 105 Comhuskers played, and eight different players scored. Exciting to watch "It's exciting to see other guys get a chance to play and get a chance to score," said Hawkins, a Nebraska senior. "You get used to the Taylors, the Jones, and Bnnsons and Smiths, so it fun to see someone else, like myself, score. "It was just as much fun to see Tyreese (Knox) and Richard Bell score. At least it was for me," he said.

Hawkins, who usually plays wingback, and sophomore Morgan Gregory filled in for Rod Smith, Nebraska's leading receiver, who was out with cracked ribs. Hawkins' only reception was the touchdown pass that put the Comhuskers ahead 35-0 at the half. Gregory grabbed four passes for 39 yards, and five other receivers contributed to Nebraska's second best passing day of the season. "Kansas State did a lot of blitzing and stunting, and that left us in one-on-one coverage a lot of the time," Gregory said. "That meant we could do our stuff in the passing game.

We could do it every week if we needed to, I think. "And I dont think it matters if it's Steve Taylor or Clete Nil's Hendley Hawkins catches a 40-yard touch- -down pass from Clete Blakeman on the last play of the first half. KSU's Emmett Bradford defends. Blakeman throwing. We have the quarterbacks, and we can get open if they stop our running game," he said.

Gregory, son of former NU captain Ben Gregory, said most of the successful pass routes were run out of the "spread formation." Pass versatility "We've got the versatility to pass with success out of that formation because it puts too many receivers to cover out there, and our quarterbacks can get the ball anywhere on the field where someone is open," he said. Nebraska offensive tackle Keven Lightner explained Kansas State's problems on defense, "They played around and gambled and would stop us for1 two plays. But then, we'd bust one open for 30 yards on a pass or a run. They can't guess nght on every play, all day long," be said. i "We couldnt come off the ball like crazy because there was nobody straight ahead of you the way good teams play; and that took a while to adjust to," he said.

"But even then, we were getting the ball down the field with the fake punt, the reverses and the passes. "We should be able to drive for touchdowns on Kansas State without that stuff, but when it works, like it did today, it got everybody into the game. That was the major difference between K-State and us. We had too many people for them to stop." Nebraska wingback Dana Brlnson (33) runs the counter play around the right side in the third quar-Jer. He fumbled on the play and Kansas State recovered.

Eomhusker players had to avoid Ureaded scoreboard mythology plete passes, and NU freshman corner-back Tahaun Lewis grabbed his first in- terceptlon of his career. "That meant a lot to me," said Lewis, who was playing high school football for Donerty High in Colorado Springs last year. "I got some head slaps, some hand slaps and hand shakes. It's important for a freshman to come in and show the older players he can get the job done. "I just read the tight end and when he broke on a comer route, I stepped in front and got the balL" The interception wasnt a shock to Lewis.

"We knew every pass route they ran, and they ran the same plays over and over, so it was easy to read the plays," he said. The only thing that was hard to take was losing the shutout Lewis said. "They still didn't get in the end zone, and we did shut them out in the second half with our depth. But we were disappointed we didnt get the shutout" he said. Cornhusker defensive end Jeff Jam-rog said the team's pre-game goal was to hold the Wildcats to 10 points or less.

"We wanted the goose egg and didn't get it, but we got a lot done in ways of improvement We wanted to make sure we stopped Tony Jordan (KSU running' back), and we didn't want to let them drive the ball. In those terms, we played pretty well." Kansas State rushed through the middle of the NU defensive line for gains of 3, 8, 4 and 2 yards on the first of two times the Wildcats crossed midfield the second half. "They clogged things up in the middle and they kept playing hard," Murray said. "And we didnt get the quarterback sacks like we wanted to." The Comhuskers didn't stop a KSU play for a loss until the third quarter and had only one sack in the game. Defensive tackle Lee Jones got that sack when he slammed Kansas State reserve quarterback Tun Hanson to the turf for a one-yard loss early in the fourth quarter.

"Kansas State's offensive line was pretty good," Jones said. "We all want the sacks and the tackles to keep our stats up. But they were an excellent pass-protection team and just right for the quick passes they throw," he said. "We take some credit for the pressure that caused him to throw out of bounds all those times, but that's not as much fun as a sack. "You've got to remember, too, that we were without two of our best guys (Smith and Pete) and we played awful well without them in there." Lewis' first interception Nebraska's defensive line pressure forced many of Kansas State's 17 inconv By Ken Hambleton An ancient myth tells the story of how one glance at the dreaded Gorgon would turn people to stone.

Saturday's Nebraska-Kansas State fame created a new myth one look at the scoreboard would induce sleep. you dont pay attention to the score, you can keep motivated and keep playing as hard in the fourth quarter as you do in the first quarter," said Ray Valladao, who started at defensive tackle for Nebraska in place of suspended Neil Smith. t'l heard in the locker room after the game from one of our starters who was disappointed because he knew he let up little bit in the third quarter when we yere ahead 42-3," Valladao said. "That's Svhy you have to ignore the score and leep playing your best There's nothing Jvorse than leaving the game, knowing you could have done better." i Jvlurray let up I Nebraska middle guard Mike Murray, ho started in place of injured Lawrence Pete, confessed he was the one who let up. "The last series I was in, sometime in Jhe third quarter, they kept coming up Jhe middle and they got some yards.

It was my fault. I just let up a little and disappointed myself a lot," said Murray, 5-10, 240-pound sophomore. A mifl Cornhusker defensive tackle Ray Valladao (75) has his eyes fixed on Kansas State quarterback Gary Swim (15) early in the third quarter. Swim avoided the rush, but his pass was incomplete. Cornhusker notes, quotes: Nebraska defensive ends Coacn.

Samuel said he may not have many more dinners with K-State assistant Coach L.C. Cole. The two played for Nebraska in the late 1970s. "We had din- ner Friday night and he asked me If we were still trying the old Bummeroosky play. I told him, 'No.

We had put-that play on the Injuries in Saturday's garnet -v "Nothing serious," according totfu Simons, associate sports information dt rector. The list included: strong safety Jeff Tomjack, bruised shoulder; Hrack Keith Jones, thigh bruise; quarterbatk Steve Taylor, lower-leg bruise; corner-back Lorenzo Hicks, lower-leg No, senior I-back Jon Kelley isnt Nebraska's answer to Gordle Lock-baum, who plays both offense and del fense at Holy Cross. Kelley, who.wfiati jersey No. 40, didn't intercept a pass. Tahaun Lewis did.

The freshman corner-back from Colorado Springs, wore No. 40 Saturday. Kelley said after the game some of his friends asked him what he was doing playing defense. 1 Senior linebacker Steve Forch said the Comhuskers should have had a shutout Saturday, "no doubt" One of Nebraska's stated goals on defense was to hold Kansas State to 10 points or That was an attempt at "being realistic," said Forch, who was created vtith a team-high six tackles. Defensive coordinator Charlie McBride "said in the meetings last night (Friday) something about a shutout He told us not to pay much attention to the 10 points." Maybe Colorado deserves some of the blame for Kansas State's lopsided loss.

According to quarterback Clete Blakeman, Nebraska learned a lesson in that game. "We kind of stubbed our toe last year at Colorado. We're not going to look past anybody," he said. Wingback Dana Brlnson, who rushed for 48 yards on six carries, but lost two fumbles, said he was not happy with his performance. "It was not a Dana Brlnson kind of day.

At least Richard Bell and the backs had a good day. I was glad I got back in the fourth quarter because I'd hate to leave the game with that fumble as my last carry." Cornerback John Custard played for the first time this season after suffering ligament damage in his right knee during last spring's Red-White game. The knee "felt real strong," said the Junior from Bellevue. Custard said right now he's about 90 percent back in shape. His knee tested at 98 percent a month ago and his speed is about 90 percent of what it was before the injury.

He was listed No. 1 on the left side prior to the injury. His first play from scrimmage was a deep pass on the opposite side of the field "I cheated to the other side to help out I was hoping they'd pass a more than they did so I'd have a better chance to get an interception," said 5 I if i 5- Statistics Interception returns No. Yds. Lewis 1 0 Defense Tackles UT AT TT Forch 3 3 6 Welnlak 3 2 5 Thomas 3 2 5 Etlenne 13 4 L.Jones 2 1 3 Jamrog 3 0 3 Wells 0 3 3 Jobman 2 1 3 3 0 3 Custard 1 2 3 Griffin 2 0 2 Callendo 1 1 2 Rother 2 0 2 Fryar 2 0 2 112 Tomiack 0 2 2 Wooten 1 1 2 Murray 1 0 1 Marco 1 0 1 Skradls 0 11 Croel 0 1 1 Mills 1 0 1 Clayton 10 1 1 0 1 Buchanan 1 0 1 Miller 1 0 1 Broer 1 0 1 Kansas St.

Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave. Pickett 9 44 4.9 Dillon 3 18 6.0 Jordan 7 16 2.3 Wilson 3 10 3.3 Lewis 3 8 2.7 Henry 2 2 1.0 Hanson 2 -1 Passing No. Co.

Yds PI Swim 2 12 118 1 Hanson 3 2 24 0 Receiving No. Yds. Dean 5 59 Huohes 2 26 Blades 1 15 Lewis 1 Henry 1 9 Jordan 2 6 Tolbert 1 6 Williams 1 4 Punting No. Yds. Ave.

Pouch .....8 238 29.8 Kruger 1 33 33.0 Punt returns No. Yds. Koch 1 Klckoff returns No. Yds. Dillon 4 76 Tolbert 2 26 Defense Tackles UT AT TT Wallersted 14 4 18 Harper 7 6 13 Baziel 8 1 9 Whittle 5 2 7 Lambert 4 2 6 Herds 5 0 5 R.Johnson 3 14 Koch 12 3 3.0 3 Slngletary 3 0 3 Easterwood 3 0 3 Enln-Okut 2 0 2 Goldner 11 2 MacDonald 0 2 2 Lawrence 1 .1 2 Crawford 2 0 2 A.

Smith 2 0 2 Newton 1 0 1 Lowe 0 1 1 Bradford 1 0 1 Nebraska Offense Rushing No. Yds. Ave. Knox 8 100 12.5 Helbel 9 60 4.7 Clark It 55 5.0 Bell 1 46 46.0 K.Jones 8 41 5.1 Brlnson 6 40 6.7 Gdowskl 4 35 8.8 Tavlor 7 30 4.30 Dalton 1 23 23.0 Kellev 2 8 4.0 Carpenter 3 5 1.7 Clare .1 4 4.0 Achola 1 4 4.0 Blakeman 2 3 1.5 Schmidt 1 3 3.0 Harchelroad 1 1 1.0 Kltrell 1 1 1.0 Passing No. Co.

Yds PI Blakeman 10 9 165 0 Taylor 7 4 38 0 Receiving No. Yds. 2 22 Mllllkan 3 46 Hawkins 1 40 Gregory 4 39 1 28 Bane 1 24 Brlnson 1 4 Punting No. Yds. Ave.

Kroeker 1 46 44.0 Punt returns No. Yds. Brlnson 2 33 Bell 2 10 Hawkins 1 -3 Klckoffs returns No. Yds. Brlnson 2 42 fk.

Hill Nebraska defensive tackle Nell Smith, who was suspended for the game because of a vandalism Incident, signs autographs before tnegame. Staff photos by Harald Dreimanis, David Fahleson, Ted Kirk, Gail Folda, Dan Dulaney i -i A A lit 4 f-.